Australia made aviation history on Sunday, October 25, 2026, as Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport (WSI) welcomed its very first commercial passengers — marking the country’s first major new airport opening in more than half a century.
The milestone began at 11:00 a.m. local time when Jetstar flight JQ362, an Airbus A320, departed from Luddenham in western Sydney bound for the Gold Coast, kicking off a new era for Australian aviation. The airport, located approximately 44 kilometres west of the Sydney CBD, was built over seven years of construction following 15 years of planning, and underwent a full year of operational testing before opening day.
WSI operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with no overnight curfew — making it Sydney’s only round-the-clock airport. Its single integrated terminal is designed to handle both domestic and international passengers under one roof, with an initial capacity of 10 million passengers per year. The airport’s ultimate projected capacity is 82 million passengers annually.
Jetstar will offer domestic services to Melbourne, Brisbane, and the Gold Coast from opening day, while Air New Zealand is set to launch the airport’s first international service — to Auckland — on October 26. Singapore Airlines and Emirates have also been cleared for future services. The airport is named in honour of pioneering Australian aviator Nancy-Bird Walton, who died in 2009.
Source: FTN News – Western Sydney Airport Opens October 25 With Jetstar Flights